We headed into the desert and it turned out it's hot. We talk about crazy winds and surviving the heat just to get to the climbs. Plus, answering your questions on aero math and looking at the new Garmin Edge 1060.
(Photo: Lisa Charlebois/Velo)
Published October 23, 2026 09:00AM
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We’ve been away, and we’ve all been doing big rides. This week, we dive into the aftermath of our near-death (it certainly felt like death) ride through Death Valley. Logan Jones-Wilkins is still away, so that leaves me, Mike Levy, and Lisa Charlebois to discuss our ride together. We experienced temps of 109, some of us had heat exhaustion, and there was a hurricane that brought gale-force winds. That last one was especially interesting given I was on an aero bike with 65mm wheels.
Before we get into the details of the big ride, though, we’ve got some listener questions. You guys want to know why I never specify a number when I quote aero savings, and I have answers. We also give some bike recommendations and listen to a recounting of an awful bike accident before we jump into talking about the new Garmin Edge 1060 and what we think of the idea of voice control.
Then it’s time to recount the Death Valley trip. Why did Lisa drop us on the first major hill, and what caused her husband to find himself puking on the side of the road? Not to give anything away, but we have a poll this week about what happens if you have a massive goal—whether it’s a race or a big ride—and you don’t complete it. Listen to the show and let us know your thoughts.
Timestamps
00:00:00 – Intro
00:02:23 – Listener Questions: Dream Bike Recommendations
00:08:22 – Listener Questions: watts saved at what speed?
00:13:02 – A Listener’s Crash Story
00:15:04 – New Gear: The Voice-Activated Garmin Edge 1060
00:30:49 – Factor 1 vs Specialized SL9
00:40:27 – The Death Valley Adventure: The Plan
00:43:10 – Day One: Vegas, the Heat & the Headwind
00:51:38 – Rich Goes Down: Vomiting & the Support Car
01:00:25 – Descending Into Death Valley
01:18:14 – Day Three: The Hurricane That Ended It
01:21:10 – Do You Have to Redo a Failed Ride?
01:26:20 – Wrap-Up & Next Week’s Spooky Episode
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